Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

rapicell

macrumors regular
Mar 20, 2013
248
58
The MacBook air is pretty much dead, I doubt they'd redesign it for 2017 when we currently have the retina MacBook and then the non-touch bar MacBook pro to fill the void
 
  • Like
Reactions: bhayes444

HurryKayne

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 9, 2010
982
13
i don't think its done,i think its almost unfinished ;)
an Air with retina and tb3 ,sd card slot would be sweet, i know the entry 13 pro is almost,except for the sd slot,the same..but who knows,what i don't understand is..,SIRI isn't already built in with the today versions and older?
 

asoksevil

macrumors 6502
Jun 7, 2010
483
158
London, UK
This report does not make any sense at all, and so far this site has no credentials either. The MBA as we know is pretty much dead will linger around for a couple of years a la Classic MacBook Pro until Apple introduces or makes it more affordable the Retina MacBook or MacBook Pro to fill the entry model category Mac.

These rumors are just bad made and full of inconsistencies and incongruence.
 
  • Like
Reactions: StoneyG

jmoore5196

macrumors 6502a
May 19, 2009
840
339
Russellville AR
I well remember the 'Warming Up for the All-New 2013 (and then, 2014) Redesigned MacBook Air' thread that spanned 600+ posts. Several times, I pointed out that Apple was unlikely to ever redesign the MBA, and several times I was effectively shouted down.

I can certainly understand folks not wanting to give up their MBAs - I'm one of them - but the writing is on the wall and very apparent to anyone who wants to look.

There won't be any 'new' MBAs, and those who honestly think there will be are ignoring the obvious. I said the same thing back in 2013 and 2014, but no one wanted to listen then, either.
 
Last edited:

Mainsail

macrumors 68020
Sep 19, 2010
2,346
3,112
Unfortuantely, I agree with others that it is very unlikely the MBA will receive an update. Eventually, this means there will be an entry level hole in the MacBook line-up for a $999 computer. Perhaps, over the next couple of years, the retina 12 in MacBook will get successive price reductions and fill this void. Only time will tell.
 

617660

Cancelled
Sep 17, 2011
682
358
Unfortuantely, I agree with others that it is very unlikely the MBA will receive an update. Eventually, this means there will be an entry level hole in the MacBook line-up for a $999 computer. Perhaps, over the next couple of years, the retina 12 in MacBook will get successive price reductions and fill this void. Only time will tell.

I think you are spot on on what's going to happen.

I also think a 13in version of the current macbook design will be released (next year)...I think the 13in macbook will sell like a hotcake.
 

pika2000

Suspended
Jun 22, 2007
5,587
4,902
Apple’s virtual personal assistant Siri will surely make its way to the Apple MacBook Air 2017. The assistant Siri was first unveiled for mobile at WWDC. It was running on an early build of macOS Sierra. The OS X 10.11 El Capitan successor will reportedly arrive alongside the new range of MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 2016 models.

WTF is this article? Siri comes with Siera and available to all Macs, even older MacBook Airs, that support Sierra.
 

Rok73

macrumors 65816
Apr 21, 2015
1,161
518
Planet Earth
The Air series is dead and will never return. Period.

You have the entry level (as Apple sees it) MacBook, the MacBook Pro w/o and the Pro w/ touch bar. That's it.
 

lauramayer

macrumors regular
Apr 5, 2016
228
119
I guess there will be a MacBook Air-isch device for the low end user who are not willing to pay top $ for a MacBook Pro.

If it's called MacBook Air? I don't know.
 
  • Like
Reactions: StoneyG

sracer

macrumors G4
Apr 9, 2010
10,287
13,020
where hip is spoken
Anyone who seriously(*) wants a Macbook Air should buy one now. Heck, Best Buy had the 4/128 11" MBA on sale this morning for $699. They are now sold out. It was probably one last attempt to clear out existing inventory. The 13" MBA is living on borrowed time. When that goes, it'll be quick and without fanfare, just like the 11".

* seriously = as in, will be greatly disappointed if they disappear from the retail channel before they have the opportunity to buy.
 

colorfuel

macrumors regular
Oct 13, 2015
101
55
Except for GPU, Screen and TB3, the 2015 MBA i7 is just as capable as the 2016 nonT-MBP.

A 2017 MBA would have to have a better screen, a TB3 port and the updated integrated GPU, which would make it just like the nonT-MBP. And that would be nonsensical for Apple.
 

2ilent8cho

macrumors 6502
Mar 9, 2016
466
1,342
I think the Air will become like the 13 MBP with the DVD Drive Apple sold until a month ago. Wont be upgraded, but will stay around for years.
 

AeroStud1026

macrumors member
Dec 19, 2007
80
0
Galloway, NJ
I would have to agree I feel the MBA is dead. I actually just bought one recently this Black Friday on sale, because I got it for such a good price I didn't mind that it was a probable discontinued model. The new retina MacBooks are pretty much the MBA of the future so there would be no reason to continue it. I would imagine they are going to sell the existing model MBA's for another year and then discontinue them probably around 2018. Right now they are the cheapest MB option.
 

kiwipeso1

Suspended
Sep 17, 2001
646
168
Wellington, New Zealand
http://www.ibtimes.com.au/apple-mac...-could-be-cheapest-ever-mac-device-siri-e-ink

Top features expected in the Apple MacBook Air 2017 are Retina Display, E-Ink keyboard, Intel Kaby Lake processor, ARM chips, Touch ID with Force Touch upgrade and a battery that could last up to 12.5 hours with web surfing. USB Type-C ports, SD card slots and Thunderbolt 3 are also anticipated


Really?

IB Times is renowned for bad reporting of tech stories, particularly with rumours that haven't been checked for plausibility.
[doublepost=1480650538][/doublepost]
hi Um; so whats that eink keyboard?

Sonder is rumoured to be working on a prototype e-ink keyboard for next year's macbook range (not just the toy retina macbook, also the pro and the air if it returns.)
What this allows is that you can have a single internationally sold model that can change the keys layout on the fly with the e-ink for other languages and key layouts such as Devorak rather than Qwerty.
This would be more profitable for Apple, as it would reduce costs of small language manufacturing key layouts for Asian, European, Cyrillic, etc & it allows for bilingual support for languages such as Maori, Samoan, etc that have not been supported yet.
It would also mean that multi-lingual people can get better use out of their macbooks, and would become more useful and in higher demand amongst the 7 billion who don't speak English as their first language.

TLDR; it's a brilliant concept to serve customers better in the other languages that most of the world deals in by having a single global macbook keyboard that can display changeable e-ink characters on the keys.
 

kazmac

macrumors G4
Mar 24, 2010
10,086
8,627
Any place but here or there....
With the new non touch bar 13" as many have already surmised, it's likely we will see the EOL for the MBAs soon; especially if Apple cuts the price on the MacBooks with the 3rd gen next Spring(?). I will probably watch the refurbished section and other sites for deals on the 2015 13". I snoozed on the black friday deals as I was too busy looking at the retina models. Last night, I kept staring at the Air in spite of it being sandwiched right next to the Macbook and new MBP. Both of those sport lovely (screens), but something kept drawing me toward the Air. I really do not need a laptop, but would like one and the only - of the Air is the screen which I can work around especially at the right price point. :)
 

3N16MA

macrumors 65816
Jul 23, 2009
1,011
177
Space
Unfortuantely, I agree with others that it is very unlikely the MBA will receive an update. Eventually, this means there will be an entry level hole in the MacBook line-up for a $999 computer. Perhaps, over the next couple of years, the retina 12 in MacBook will get successive price reductions and fill this void. Only time will tell.

I think Apple (Cook) sees the iPad Pro line as the entry level portable. Cook said he thought they would replace notebooks and Apple pretty much advertises it as much. iPad Pro + Smart Keyboard seems to be the new entry level.
 
Last edited:
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.